Columbia City Council approves to file application for federal funds to study Business Loop 70
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The City of Columba will file an application for a grant that will allow it to study Business Loop 70.
At Monday night’s City Council meeting, the Downtown Leadership Council asked the city to file an application for the funding needed to improve the street. The City Council unanimously approved to file.
The funding would come from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity grant. It is a program through the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in transportation projects that include safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, as well as other areas. Business Loop 70 is maintained by Missouri Department of Transportation.
The application will request a planning grant to study the Business Loop corridor between Stadium Boulevard and Eastland Circle. The study will include improving safety for both motorized and non-motorized users, improving accessible multi-modal operations, providing aesthetics along the corridor, and improving economic vitality along the roadway.
It is anticipated that the application will request the federal funding of $2.5 million-$3 million to complete the planning study.
USDOT will announce winners by the summer. The deadline for applications is Feb. 28. Selections will be announced no later than June 28, according to online records.
Carrie Garnder, Business Loop community improvement district executive director, said the goal is to improve mobility, access and connectivity of the street.
Safety is among the list of priorities, which goes hand in hand with improving connectivity of the street, according to Gardner. Features proposed to be studied will include a complete streets design, intersection improvements, bike lanes and pedestrian connection improvements, aesthetic improvements and stormwater improvements, the council memo states.
“We’ve got a lot of neighborhoods with people that live close to the Business Loop, but have to run across five lanes of traffic in order to get some place…the interstate really kind of divides the city,” Gardner said.
The city also recently received $1.4 million through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program.
